3 days ago
Bhagavatha Dharmam
Dharmas can be classified into various types, such as Sannyasa dharma, Sthree dharma, and Raja dharma, among others. Sannyasa dharma is meant only for ascetics. Sthree dharma is only for women to follow. Raja dharma refers to the specific rules and regulations that a king is expected to adhere to. These dharmas are exclusive to each category and cannot be followed by other groups. Sri. Muralidhara Swamigal said in a discourse that Yudhishtra asked the grandsire Bhishma whether there is any common dharma that can be followed by all, irrespective of gender, caste, creed, religion, or language. ( Ko dharma: sarva dharmanam ) The grand sire replied that there is a dharma called 'Bhagavatha Dharmam' which can be adopted by all.
In the eleventh skandha (chapter) of Srimad Bhagavatam, it is elaborately explained what Bhagavatha dharma is. A king asks the Navayogis, What should I do so that God will be pleased and give Himself to me? One of the Nava yogis, Yogikavi, asks the king to follow Bhagavata dharma, which implies chanting/calling the names of God. God likes the Bhagavata dharma, as He introduced it to the world so that people could reach Him.
It is rare to be born as a human being, and people cannot afford to waste this opportunity. Saint. Pattinathar says life is like a pot filled with water, and if spilt, cannot be collected and put back into the pot. (Vazhvai Kkudam kavizh neer ena ninai.) We should approach an Acharya and learn the dharma from him. People should not attempt to do it themselves. It will be like a person plucking a lotus from a pond in the evening and showing the same before the Sun the next morning to blossom. (Will it?) The grace of the Acharyas is like the water in a pond, which helps our lives blossom.
